The brutality of the most recent killing of a Jordanian air force pilot by the terrorist group ISIS has shocked the world, even after multiple beheadings and other news of barbaric and systematic human rights violations. This begs the question: why are human beings so ruthless, so cruel, so brutal; killing without empathy for the…

With John D’Angelo. There is still a lot we don’t know about Wednesday’s attack on the satirical magazine at Charlie Hebdo, discussed in yesterday’s blog post. What we do know is this: besides killing twelve people, these terrorists have attacked fundamental human rights, specifically the right to freedom of speech, expression, and press. The…

With Daniel Falcone. My time in Paris was a beautiful and amazing experience. I climbed the Eiffel Tower, saw the Louvre, and the majestic arches of Notre Dame. Even so, there exists an overtone of a focus on security in the city. As I walked down the escalator on the Métro, I encountered a…